Title: Pulling Pigtails.
Author: Liv
Rating: PG
Summary: Did you know that Danny's been to Montana?
Words: 910
"You know what? I just remembered I've been to Montana," Lindsay looked over at Danny who was standing in the doorway of the break room, his hands on his hips and a determined look on his face.
"Excuse me?" Lindsay asked, not quite sure if she heard him correctly. "Did you just say you've been to Montana?"
"Yeah, when I was little," said Danny, walking into the room and sliding into the seat across from Lindsay. "I completely forgot about it until now."
"How old were you?" asked Lindsay, her eyes twinkling a little bit.
"Like seven," said Danny with an awed expression on his face. "My mom sent me pictures of me and this girl I met there."
"Girl? Danny you were seven and already building a reputation out of yourself," said Lindsay with a shake of her head. Danny gave her a look before grinning too.
"Here I am trying to tell you about my first crush on a girl and you're making fun of me."
"Crush? Danny, I repeat, you were seven."
"Doesn't matter. She was cute. Curly brown hair, I gave her a sea shell."
"Sea shell?" asked Lindsay, her voice quiet, and her expression shocked.
"Don't make fun of me, she liked it."
"You mean this sea shell?" asked Lindsay, pulling her sleeve up and holding out her wrist for Danny to see the bracelet wrapped around it.
"Yeah," said Danny softly, his eyes lifting from Lindsay's wrist to her face. "That sea shell."
Danny looked at the little girl he was sitting next to on the swings. She had curly brown hair which was worn in pig tails and a purple shirt. She was looking at her feet as she swung them underneath her. Danny jumped off the swing and walked over to her, standing next to the girl.
He reached out and tugged on one of her pig tails, making her jump and look over at him.
"What was that for?" she asked, her voice soft. Danny swallowed and gave her a smile.
"Whacha doin'?" he asked her. The girl shrugged and went back to staring at her feet.
"Nothing," she said with a sigh. Looking back up at Danny she tilted her head to the side and studied him. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Danny. What's yours?"
"Lindsay."
"I like your pigtails, Lindsay."
"I like your glasses," replied Lindsay reaching out and poking the frames. Danny gave her a grin.
"Catch, Danny!" Danny grunted as he was hit in the head with a baseball, falling to the ground and landing on his side.
"What was that for, Louie?" shouted Danny, sitting up and picking up his glasses from where they had fallen off his face. Lindsay jumped down from her swing and picked them up for him, kneeling down next to Danny and placing them on his face.
"He's a jerk face," said Lindsay quietly, brushing off Danny's shirt. Danny gave her a half hearted glare.
"That's my big brother."
"Doesn't mean he can't be a jerk face."
"You can't get a girl to fight your battles, Danny," said Louie, jogging over to him and picking up his baseball. "You're gonna get cooties."
"Nuh-uh," said Lindsay, standing up and shoving Louie away from Danny. "You leave him alone."
"What's your problem?"
"Bullies like you," said Lindsay defensively. Crossing her arms over her chest. Danny looked up at both of them from his place on the floor, looking from one to the other.
"Why don't you go and play with your dolls, girl," said Louie, tossing his baseball in his hand a few times.
"Why don't you pick on someone who has your I.Q.," Lindsay shot back. Louie rolled his eyes and walked away, back towards the field he was playing on. Lindsay knelt back down next to Danny.
"Are you okay?" she asked him. Danny nodded, still looking at Lindsay. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, making her blush.
"You stood up to Louie," he said, wowed. Lindsay smiled brightly at him. The two turned their heads as Danny's mother shouted over at Danny that it was time to go. Danny stood up and reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a sea shell he'd left in there to remind him of home.
"Here," he said, holding the shell out to Lindsay who took it.
"Thanks," she said, peering at it closely. "It's pretty."
"You deserve it," said Danny solemnly, nodding his head. Danny heard his name called again. "I gotta go. Bye."
"Bye," said Lindsay quietly, waving after him as he ran towards his mother's voice.
"I cannot believe you called my brother a 'jerk face'," said Danny, holding back his laughter as the two recounted the events of their first meeting.
"I can't believe you kissed me," said Lindsay. Danny just smiled at her, standing up and walking around the table until he was standing next to Lindsay. Lindsay looked up at him and Danny leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.
"For old time's sake," he said quietly into her ear, brushing back her hair and kissing her cheek again.
"Yeah," said Lindsay, turning her head, her nose brushing against Danny's. "For old times," Danny grinned, his mouth hovering above hers.
"It was destiny," he muttered out loud to himself, leaning down and kissing Lindsay on the mouth, kissing her deeper when he felt her nod.
And it all started with a pulling her hair.
